


one thing at a time

by verity



Series: tween wolf [30]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awesome Sheriff Stilinski, Donuts, Father-Son Relationship, Friendship, Gen, Law Enforcement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-15
Updated: 2013-05-15
Packaged: 2017-12-11 23:52:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/804693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verity/pseuds/verity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They get a call around eleven, noise complaint at 9 Sunset in Beacon Hills—Donna Martin's place. John sighs. That woman is never around; John's spoken to her before, but there's not much they can do beyond shut these things down. They certainly don't have room to throw two dozen drunk kids into lockup at the station.</p><p>"I'll handle it," John says.</p>
            </blockquote>





	one thing at a time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blue_rocket_frost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_rocket_frost/gifts).



> It's been a few chapters since we've seen them, so: Kevin is a Deputy, Ruth is the night dispatcher for the Sheriff's department, and Monica is the assistant manager of Kinko's and briefly dated Derek.
> 
> Also, I have never been to a party that got broken up by the cops. *handwaves*

John begins his day at 3PM with a nice, hot cup of Folgers from the stash Stiles doesn't know about.

There's enough to bring a full thermos with him to the station, so he grabs some granola bars and one of those fat-free greek yogurts and heads out to run a few errands before his shift starts at five. Stiles is always nagging him to set up online bill pay, but John likes the familiar circuit around town: water, electric, phone, cable. He likes using checks. It took him six months to go through the ones that said _John and Nadya Stilinski, 1460 Chestnut Ave_ and he still feels like he's only just gotten used to these. Stiles has a debit card, because he's a child of the future where they give kids _debit cards_ now.

After he pays the bills, John drops by into Kinko's to pick up the lamination job Kevin dropped off yesterday. Monica's at the counter; she smiles when she sees him. "Lamination?" she says.

"Right in one," John says. He leans against the counter while he waits. Monica used to give Stiles rides to their knitting group before Stiles got his Jeep; she's sunny, sweet, a few years older than Derek Hale. Not someone who'd have found an easy fit in that family, for sure.

There's just enough time left before his shift to pick up donuts.

—

It's a quiet night at the office. Ruth comes in about an hour after John does, swipes a jelly and a Boston Cream; Henry takes a cake donut on his way out. Laura's there, too, on the late shift with John and Alex, finishing up some paperwork from a burglary. "Mmm, one for me?" She holds out her hand without looking up.

John gives her a chocolate glazed. "No telling on me to Stiles. That's the condition."

"I would never," Laura says, all innocence, even though she usually cracks if Stiles puts any real effort into interrogating her. "Coffee?"

"You can get that on your own, Deputy," he says.

—

They get a call around ten, noise complaint at 9 Sunset in Beacon Hills—Donna Martin's place. John sighs. That woman is never around; John's spoken to her before, but there's not much they can do beyond shut these things down. They certainly don't have room to throw two dozen drunk kids into lockup at the station.

"I'll handle it," John says, getting up from his creaking chair. "Laura, you stay here with Alex."

"You sure?" Alex says. He's stuck at a desk until his ankle heals up. "She can—"

Laura meets John's eyes, nods. "If you think so." It's better if they have someone else who can respond to a call in the hour before Tammy and Rex come in.

John shrugs. "Teenagers," he says. "I'll be fine."

—

He's turning into the Martins' neighborhood when Laura calls him—on his personal cell phone, not his work one or over the radio. "Look, I just got a text from Daphne," Laura says. "She's there, too. You need to wait for backup. This is—my kind of call, not yours."

"Hmm," John says. "What did she say?"

"Just that I need to come," Laura says. "Me. Which is—"

That's right when John turns onto Sunset and sees Stiles's Jeep, and, Christ, the kid said he was going to be _home_. "Stiles is here. I have to go in, Laura. You—get here as quick as you can, just— I have to go in."

He hangs up before Laura can try to convince him it's a bad idea. John knows it's a bad idea: he hasn't gotten this far in law enforcement without learning to trust his gut. But his son is in there, and as soon as John opens the door to the car, he hears the screaming over the music, treble accompaniment to some Jay-Z song with a thudding bass line.

John bypasses the front door and heads around back. He's shut down three or four parties here, enough that he knows where the gate to the pool area is. This isn't police procedure, but he's not operating as an officer of the law anymore. This is Laura's jurisdiction.

When he opens the gate, he expects to see—he doesn't know what he expected, really, something out of a horror movie, but not—this. Kids crouched, kneeling, lying down, wailing, nearly all of them except—and there's Stiles in the corner with Erica Reyes in his arms, looking panicked, Daphne and Derek Hale behind him.

"Dad, Dad, you can't be here," he sobs when John reaches him. John can barely hear Stiles over the screams around them. "Dad, you have to—"

"Let me help, son," John says, kneeling down. "What's—"

"Erica's going to have a seizure, you have to get her _inside_ ," Stiles says. "I need—Scott. And your shoelaces."

"Okay," John says. "One thing at a time."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm [ladyofthelog](http://ladyofthelog.tumblr.com) on tumblr.


End file.
